About Lincolnville Boat Club

We are a group of Lincolnville residents who have formed the Lincolnville Boat Club (LBC) as a non-profit, public benefit corporation dedicated to offering sailing and seamanship instruction and programs to our community. All of our courses are focused on educating individuals to the joys of sailing and boating.

We teach several levels of instruction during the summer, for both youths, families, and adult. Our primary location is at Norton Pond in the center of Lincolnville where we sail Vanguard 420, Lasers, and Shellback dinghies. We also own and utilize row boats, kayaks, and paddleboards! The warm and calm waters make this a perfect location to learn to sail and boat. We also have a keel boat moored at the ferry terminal at Lincolnville beach. We sail in the picturesque Penobscot Bay every Friday evening - come join!

The club is incorporated by the State of Maine as a not for profit corporation and approved by the IRS as a 501c3 public benefit organization for purposes of receiving tax deductible contributions.

The LBC was established in 2006 by several community members. In short order a charter was established and funds acquired to purchase seven Vanguard 420’s from Boston and the club was off the ground.

Our first season in 2007 was an adventure! Our first class had three students, two of whom were sisters, and all from out of state. With two youth and one adult instructor classes were held all summer to these small, individualized classes. The evening Adult and Women’s classes were a hit with almost full enrollment. The 420’s were tired old boats, but with some TLC they performed well. We pressed Andy Oliver for a chase boat and got a fast ski boat – it was fun.

In the 2008 season we purchased a Boston Whaler at the YMCA auction, and a second one was borrowed from Paul Lippman – no more horse power. More kids signed up. We cooperated with Jim Dunham at Tanglewood to instruct a group of their summer camp kids for a week, and we’ve continued this every year since.

By 2009 we had traded several of our 420’s for newer ones (90’s vintage vs. 80’s). And since then our program (both boats and participant numbers) has only continued to grow and grow!

In 2014, Anna Piotti became our new Program Director and decided to expand our programming once again. In the past three years, we've added more boats to our fleet: laser and shellback sailing dinghies, a brightly colored array of kayaks, a few rowboats, and both a paddleboard and windsurfer. Beyond this, our youth program numbers began to exceed our course capacity - so we began running two youth programs each week. We have an all-day one that utilizes our entire fleet and the local landscape (mountains, ocean, rivers, neighboring ponds), encouraging kids to get outside and enjoy nature. And simultaneously, we still run sailing instruction courses for beginners, for intermediates, and even for advanced students! Finally, we extend our fleet to the local community a few nights a week (learn more under the "Community Programming" tab). So come learn to sail! Try out kayaking! Tie a few knows and join us!

The following are general guidelines for the programs run by the Lincolnville Boat Club.

RAIN DAYS

We go sailing anyway! This is always your first option (so long as there is no lightning). Rain is a downer but it’s not going to melt us, so out to the lake we go. Understanding that nobody wants to be cold and wet for hours you can expect a longer than usual “instruction” time under the band stand before and after sailing. As an aside, frequently the lake water is warmer and you’ll find the kids swimming to warm up.

There is lots to learn that can be taught off the water. These include learning to tie knots, determining who has the rights of way on the water, reading maps, interpreting the wind, communications between crew, racing techniques, etc. We purposefully put this off for rainy days.

Although we love our band stand it’s not that warm and is only mostly dry. Luckily, we have the old fire station as our current boat house. It's warm, spacious, and stocked with fun things to do!

Parents certainly have the prerogative to keep their kids home for a day–we’ll understand.

Adult Evening Classes:

As for the adult programs, we recognize that you are out to enjoy sailing and doing it in the rain may not be enjoyable. As such, we’ll understand if you don’t want to come out for a lesson in the rain. There are also occasions when extremely poor or inhospitable weather prohibits us from sailing and we cancel the night’s lesson. If that is the case you will get a phone call from us at least 2 hours before class.

On the first day of classes we will pick a single make-up day should any of the classes be canceled. If more than one class is canceled we will not be making it up.

AGE and SIZE

For our youth programming: Our programs are intended for youth ages 8–15. We have an age minimum because the boats we sail are easier to operate if a student has the size, strength, and agility of your average 8 year old. Also, a student needs to be able to listen, interpret, and perform instructions as they are given.

For our community programming: Our programs are intended for all ages. But as we sail small and unstable (tippy) boats - you must have the agility and balance to move quickly around in these small dinghies. For the 60+ or the over 220 lbs. crowd our boats can be tough. Please consider your own abilities and restrictions before signing up for a lesson.

The Lincolnville Boat Club offers opportunities for work. These positions include:

Counselor

Volunteer / Councilor in Training (CIT)

If interested, please download the appropriate form and email back to info@lincolnvilleboatclub.com.

The Lincolnville Boat Club is a donation based 501c3 'Not For Profit' organization with the goal of promoting a youth sailing program which involves both classroom and on the water instruction to students 8 years and older. Our fleet of boats has an appeal for all, from a beginner starting in a very forgiving Opty, progressing on to Lasers and for the more advanced and experienced, we have a fleet of 420’s. While students pay a nominal fee to be part of the program the Clubs success relies on the community for donations to keep it afloat. Students who need financial assistance can apply for scholarships which the club endorses. No one is turned down. A certified program director and three instructors provide a full program of on the water activities located on the warm and friendly waters of Norton Pond in Lincolnville.

Each year the Club reaches out to the community to help fund this valuable program enriching youth and the community. We invite you to be part of its success with your generous donation.